Apparatus for treating canned goods



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March 5, 1940. w D K APPARATUS FOR TREATING CANNED GOODS Filed June 4, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR g9 w eam 042 1 E k A Patented Mar. 5, 1 946 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR TREATING CANNED GOODS William do Back, Niagara Falls, N. Y., assignor to Chisholm-Ryder Company, Incorporated,

Niagara Falls, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 4 1937, Serial No. 146,445 8 Claims. (01. 198 -181) This invention relates to apparatus for treating canned goods and more particularly to an apparatus for subjecting a continuously moving.

line of cans or glass jars filled with foodstuff to heat for the purpose of sterilizing the contents of sealed cans or expanding the contents and exhausting all air from unsealed cans.

In general the invention consists of a table having an enclosed compartment through which an endless conveyer moves in a series of passes, the filled containers being placed on the entering part of the endless conveyer and being removed from the discharge end and the cans, while traversing the series of passes or canways being subjected to a heating medium, such as steam, which is supplied through a series of pipesarranged within the compartment, although it will be understood that hot water can also be employed as the heating medium and that under some conditions it may also be desirable to introduce a cooling medium particularly if the foodstuffs are contained in glass jars which are required to be tempered before and after being subjected to sterilizing temperatures.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive machine of the character described in which a large quantityv of cans are subjected to treatment while traversing the many passes of a chain conveyer within the treating chamber and in which the cans are moved uniformly and without disturbance so that there is no danger of spilling the contents.

Another object of the invention is to employ the steam pipes as the means for guiding-the cans in their movement along the numerous canways, the steam pipes being elevated and arranged alongside the c'anways for this purpose.

Another object of the invention isto provide an overhead housed gear mechanism for driving the drive sprockets of the several conveyer passe's,.this disposition of the gear case and en- 1 closed gears providing a very simple construction for driving the chain passes and also rendering the gears more accessible for adjustment as well as reducing the danger of water getting into the gear case.

Another object of the present invention is to provide simplified means for supporting the chain passes on sheaves or rollers so that there is no sag and the cans move in a horizontal line throughout the machine. To this end these sheaves or rollers are fast to cross shafts which are journaled on the side walls of the compartment. Alternate opposite moving stretches of the chain conveyer are supported by sheaves on 91- ternate shafts; the alternate stretches of course -moving in the same direction and at the same rate ofspeed. By this means the problem of lubrication of the supporting sheaves is greatly simplified. v 1 Another object of the invention isto provide vide a simple'mechanism for timing the driving sprockets for the several stretches of the conveyer, this timing mechanism permitting of readily taking up and adjusting the chain stretches. l0 In the accompanying drawings? Fig.1 is a top plan View of amachine for heat treating canned goods made in accordance with my invention.

Fig.2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3-is a vertical fragmentary longitudina section, taken on line 33, Fig. l. c

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section, taken on line 44, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken .20 on line 5-5, Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section, taken on line 6-6, Fig. 1.

Figs. '7 and 8 are fragmentary horizontal sec- 'tions, taken *on the correspondingly numbered .25 lines on Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section, taken on line 9-9, Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section, taken on line llll0, Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken on line H--I i, Fig. 3. I

Fig. 12 is a vertical fragmentary longitudinal section, taken on line [2-42, Fig. 5.

Fig. l3-is a fragmentary vertical diagonal section, taken on line l3-l3, Fig. 5.

Fig-l4 is a fragmentary vertical central section through the conveyer.

The compartment or chamber in which the cans l5 are subjected to heat treatment includes a sheet metal box-like end head 16 at the inlet end of the machine which is supported in any suitable manner by standards l1, a box-like sheet metal section 18 at the opposite end of the machine and supported by standards l9 and an 45.

these covers permitting access to the chamber 2|, and the bottom of the central section preferably inclines to a central drain channel from which the condensate or water can be removed through an opening closed by a drain plug H. The steam for heating the interior of the compartment 2| is supplied to a steam mani fold which extends transversely across the chamber at its center and through one of the side walls, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 9. At spaced intervals this manifold 30 carries upwardly extending nipples 3| each of which dis:

charges the steam into a horizontal tube 32 ex-. I

tending the full length of the central section 20, as best shown in Fig. 3. These tubes 32 are provided at spaced intervals with a plurality of orifices 33 through which the steam is discharged and each end of the tubes 32 is carried by a support 34 in the form of a vertical sleeve 35 formed with a stud 36 which projects into the end of the tube 32 which it supports. At the inlet end of the machine the sleeves 35 are mounted on a cross bar 31 by means of vertical bolts 38,

, the opposite direction from the stud 35 which supports the corresponding pipe end.

The longitudinal steam pipes 32 define and provide side guides for a plurality of canways through which the cans are conveyed back and forth and around the ends of the steam pipes in serpentine fashion by a conveyer chain 45. This chain, as best illustrated in Fig. 14, con sists of a plurality of U-shaped links it, the legs 47 and 48 of each of which are joined by a cylindrical connecting portion 49 and the ends of the legs '3'! and d8 of each link being joined to the cylindrical portion of the next succeeding link by a vertical pivot pin 50. To the upper leg ll of each link is welded a diamond shaped horizontal support 5! which extends transversely of the link and is adapted to support the bottom of a can placed thereon, the supports 5! being diamond shaped so as to pass around the chain sprockets.

At the feeding end of the machine the several stretches of the chain pass around idler sprockets 55. Each of these sprockets 55 is loosely mounted on a'vertical post 56 which is carried at its upper and lower ends by a U-shaped bracket 57. The base 58 of each of the brackets 51 is formed to provide guideways 59 by which the brackets 53 are slidingly supported, for movement lengthwise of the machine, on brackets 60 secured in any suitable manner to the end head 16'. Each of the brackets 51 is yieldingly urged outwardly by a spring 8| which is interposed between a flange 62 at the outer end of the base 58 of the bracket and a nut 53 of an adjusting bolt 64 which extends through the spring 6! and flange 52 and through the end wall of the end head it, as best illustrated in Fig. 3. The nut 63 is held against rotation by the base 53 and it will therefore be seen that by turning the bolt 64 the spring 6! is compressed to urge the bracket 57 outwardly or toward the end wall of the end head 16, thereby placing the stretches of chain which pass around the corresponding sprocket 58 under yielding tension.

Each of the brackets 51 also carries a semicircular guide 65 for guiding the cans as they pass around the sprockets 55 in their course 5 through the chamber 2 I. The guides 65 are preferably arranged in the same plane as the steam pipes 32 and each end thereof extends into the bifurcated jaw 4| of one of the supports 34, as best shown in Fig. 5. this construction the cans on the diamond shaped supporting plates 5| of the chain are guided by the steam pipes along the stretches of the chain and are guided around the idler sprockets 55 by the semi-circular guides 65 and 15 the bifurcated jaws ll. The ends of the chain stretches 'at the discharge end of the machine pass around and are driven by sprockets 10. Each of these sprockets 'Hl, as best shown in Fig. 1 1 6, is keyed to a vertical shaft H which is jour-. naled at its lower end in a bearing bracket 12 and extends upwardly through and is journaled in an overhead gear case '53. The several shafts H are driven in unisonby a cross worm shaft 14 which can be supported at intervals by split bearings and is shown as driven by a drive sprocket l6 and drive chain TI, through which power is applied for turning the worm shaft 14.

" Number of worms '58 corresponding in number 1 and location to the shafts ll are mounted on 14 0 I the worm shaft M and each of these worms en-' gages a worm wheel I9 loosely mounted" on the corresponding vertical shaft H, as best shown in Fig. 6. The hub 88 of each of the worm wheels 79 extends through a bearing 8| in their. top of the gear case Hand is provided with an annular series of vertical pin holes 82. To the I upper end of each of the vertical shafts .H is f keyed a collar 33 having a vertical hole 84 which is arranged to register with any of the pin holes $.40;

82. The drive between each of. the worm wheels l9 and its shaft H is established by a removable pin 85 which extends through the hole 84 into one or another of the pin holes 82, as best shown in Fig. 6.

The upper endof each shaft 1|, together with -its collar 83 and adjusting pin 85 is preferably enclosed by a cap 86 which fits over theiipper end of the corresponding bearing 81. g

1 It will be seen that by removing the pins 85360 the several stretches of the chain can be ad- .justed relative to the vertical drive shafts "H v and that therefore the several drive sprockets 10' can be timed with reference to one another and the slack in one or more of the chainstretchestss taken up. This is accomplished by the simple expedient of removing one or more of the pins 85 and adjusting the chain stretches after which the pins 85 are reset to maintain this adjustment.

The cans onthe conveyer chain are guided around the drive sprockets 10 by a plurality of semi-circular guides or rails 81. which arense cured at their centers to theend wall of the end head it in any suitable manner and the ends of which :fit into .the bifurcated jaws) of the sup- =i5 ports 35, as best shown in Fig. 5. It will-:be seen that at the drive ends of the chain stretches the cans on the diamondshapedplates iii are guided around the bends by. the guide rails 8'! and .jaws

discharge bracket 89 which is mounted on the side wall of the end head l8 next tothe bracket 15 It will be seen that by 10 The discharge bracket prevents the cans from passing onto the final stretch of the chain and instead discharges these cans through a'can discharge opening 90.

The chain is introduced into the chamber 2| through an inlet opening 9| in the end wall of the end head I6 and emerges from this chamber through an opening 92 at the opposite end of this same end wall. The emerging chain passes around a sprocket 93 which is loosely mounted on a pin 94, this pinbeing suitably supported by a bracket 95, as best shown in Fig. 13. This pin 94 also carries a swinging arm 96 on the outer end of which is loosely mounted a sprocket 97 which bears against the chain so as'toact as a tightener. For this purpose a spring 98 is anchored at one end to the end wall of the end head I6 and at its other end is connected to a screw eye 99 which extends through the end of the arm 96 and is provided with a nut I 00 bearing against this arm and by means of which the tension of the spring 98 in urging the sprocket 91 against the chaincan be adjusted. The length of chain emerging from the opening 92 and entering the opening 9| serves as a feed stretch and to facilitate the placing of cans upon this stretch his surrounded by a horizontal guide rail I65 which can be secured to the end head I6 in any suitable manner. Adjacent the inlet opening 9| an inner guide rail I06 is also provided, the rails I65 and I06 forming a canway I 91 into which the cans are conveniently placed on the chain which is there'su'pported by sprockets I 08 and I09 and carries them through the inlet opening I9 and I discharge opening 90.

back and forth along the several canways until the cans engage the V-shaped discharge bracket 89 located at the diagonally opposite corner from the inlet opening 9|, as best shown in Fig. 5.

On being discharged from the can discharge opening 90 the cans are picked up by any suitable discharge means, such as the discharge wheel IIO-which is shown as rotatably mounted on a pin III carried by a bracket II2. As best shown in Fig. 12 a sprocket I I3 is fast to the discharge wheel H0 and is driven by a sprocket |I4 fast to that drive sprocket 16 which is nearest the In handling unsealed cans it is essential that the stretches of the conveyor chain within the chamber 2| be supported at close intervals so that the chain does not sag and spill the contents of the cans. To this end those stretches of the chain which travel toward thefeeding end of the machine are supported at intervals on sheaves 'II5. These sheaves II 5 are arranged in transverse alignment in rows along the machine and each of the sheaves H5 is fast to a transverse shaft H6. The several stretches, of course, all move at the same rate of speed.

Similarly, those stretches of the conveyor chain traveling toward the discharge end of the machine are supported at spaced intervals by sheaves I 20 which are arranged in transverse alignment, each row being fast to a shaft I2I.

Each end of each of the shafts I I6 and I2I is supported by any suitable form of bearing carried by the side walls of the central section 29. Pref-.

.of oil I28 which is provided by mounting an oil cup I29 below each bracket I21, the rim of this cup extending upwardly to embrace the rollers I and I26. It will be seen that this form of bearing provides an inboard bearing for each end of each of the shafts I I6 and I2I which can be very easily lubricated and further that the assembly of these shafts and the sheaves carried thereby is very simple.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a very simple and. inexpensive construction in that the steam pipes are used as the guides at the sides of the canways and are connected with the curved rails at the ends of the canways in a simple and effective man- Further, it will be seen that by the provi-' the same time the adjusting pins 85 for taking Also' up the chain links are readily accessible. it will be seen that the provision of these adjusting pins provides a very simple and quick method of accurately taking up the slack in the chains.

It will further be seen that by mounting the supporting sheaves fast to cross shafts and journal-' ing the ends of these cross shafts in bearings at the sides of the compartment a very simple and inexpensive construction of chain support is provided which prevents appreciable sag in the chain stretches.

I claim as my invention? 1. In apparatus of the character described, a

supporting frame formed to provide a treating chamber, a flexible endless conveyer adapted to convey'the articles to be treated through said' chamber, said conveyer being formed within said chamber to provide a series of serpentine passes each supported at one end by a driving wheel and at its opposite end by a driven wheel, a drive mechanism for rotating said series of driving chamber, a flexible endless conveyer adapted to convey'the articles to be treated through said chamber, said conveyer being formed within said chamber to provide a series of serpentine passes each supported at one end by a driving wheel and at its opposite end by a driven wheel, a shaft fast to and projecting outwardly from each of said driving wheels, a drive gear loosely mounted on the projecting end of each of said shafts, means for driving said drive gears in unison and manually releasable means for connecting each drive gear with the shaft on which it is mounted.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a

supporting frame formed to provide a treating chamber, a flexible endless conveyer adapted to i convey the articles to be treated through said chamber, said conveyer being formed within said chamber to provide a seriesxof'serpentine passes each supported at one end by a driving wheel and at its opposite end by a driven wheel, a shaft fast to and projecting outwardly from each of said driving wheels, a drive gear loosely mounted on the projecting end of each of said shafts, means for driving said drive gears in unison and manually releasable means for connecting each drive gear with the shaft on which it is mounted comprising a collar fast to each shaft and a manually movable pin carried by said collar and adapted to enter one of a series of openings'provided in said gear.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting frame formed to provide a treating chamber, a horizontal endless flexible conveyer adapted to convey the articles to be treated through said chamber, said conveyer being formed within said chamber to provide a series of serpentine passes each supported at one end of said chamber by a driving wheel rotating about a vertical axis and at the opposite end of said chamber by a driven wheel rotating about a vertical axis, a drive mechanism for rotating said series of driving wheels in unison and means for detachabiy connecting each of said driving wheels to said drive mechanism whereby said driving "a vertical axis and at the opposite end of said chamber by a driven wheel rotating about a vertical axis, a shaft fast to and projecting upwardly from each of said driving wheels, adrive gear loosely mounted onthe upper end of said shaft,'

means for driving said drive gears in unison and manually releasable means connecting each drive gear with the shaft onwhich it is mounted.

6. In apparatus of the characterdescribed, a supporting frame formed to provide a treating chamber, a horizontal endless flexible conveyor adapted to convey the articles to be treated through said chamber, said conveyer being formed within said chamber to provide a series of serpentine passes each supported at one end of said chamber by a driving wheel rotating about a vertical axis and at the opposite end of said chamber by a driven wheel rotating about a vertical axis, a shaft fast to and projecting upward- 1y from each of said driving wheels, a drive gear loosely mounted on the upper end of said shaft, means for driving said drive gears in unison and manually releasable means connecting each drive gear with the shaft on which it is mounted, comprising a collar fixed to each shaft above said drive gear and a manually movable pin carried I by said collar and adapted to enter one of a series of openings provided in said gear.

'7. In apparatus of the character described, a

supporting frame formed to provide a treating.

of said chamber by a driving wheel rotating about a vertical axis and at the opposite end of said chamber by a driven wheel rotating about avertical axis, a gear case extending transversely of said frame and arranged above the series of driv- 1 ing wheels, a drive shaft journaled in said gear case and extending lengthwise thereof, and means operatively connecting said 'drive shaft'with each of said driving wheels to drive them in unison, comprising a vertical shaft fast to each of said driving wheels, said shafts extending upwardly and being journaled in said gear case, a Worm wheel loosely mounted on the upper .end of said drive shaft and journaled in and projecting upplurality of worms on said'drive shaft and each.-

meshing with one of said worn wheels, and man'- ually releasable means for connecting eachworm wheel with the shaft on which it is mounted comprising a collar fixed to each shaft above its worm wheel and a manually movable pin carried by said collar and adapted to enter one of a series of openings provided in said gear? 8. In canning apparatus of the character described, a supportingframe formed toprovide a treating chamber, a horizontal endless flexible.

conveyer, a series of can carrying 'members mounted on and arranged above said conveyer and adapted to convey the articles to be treated through said chamber, said conveyor being formed within said chamber to provide a series of serpentine passes, the alternate stretches of which are parallel and move' in opposite directions, means for propelling saidconveyer and means for supporting said stretches comprising two series of shafts each journaled at its ends in the sides of said chamber and each shaft of one series carrying a plurality of grooved sheaves,

the grooves of said sheaves receiving the conveyor stretches moving in one direction and engaging 20 wardly from the upper wall of said gear case, .a Q 

